Manufacture of coat hangers



w. BACKER Aug. 2 1938.

' MANUFACTURE OF COAT HANGERS Original Filed Nov. 23, 1935 13 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR WILL/AM BACKEI? BY (MR ATT RN'EY Aug. 2, 1938. w. BACKER Re. 20,814

MANUFACTURE OF COAT HANGERS Original Filed Nov. 23, 1935 15 Sheets-Sheet 2 N Q) INVEINTOR WILL/AM SAC/(ER BY 2 W AT ORNEY Aug. 2, 1938. w. BACKER MANUFACTURE OF COAT HANGERS l5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Nov. 23, 1935 INVENTOR I w. BACKER MANUFACTURE OF COA' I HANGERS Aug. 2, 1938.

Original Filed Nov. 23, 1935 13 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR" WILL/AM BACKER BY 2 A ORNEY 1938- v -w. BACKER I Re. 20,814

MANUFACTURE OF COAT HANGERS Original Filed Nov. 23, 1935 13 SheetS-Sheet 5 u'miiillllifil'i illlll-lllllllll INVENTOR WILL/AM BACKER 1938. w, BACKER Re. 20,814

MANUFACTURE OF COAT HANGERS Original Filed Nov. 23, 1935 13 SheetS-Sh eet G INVENTOR WILLIAM BACKER 13 Sheets-Sheet '7 w. BACKER IANUFACTURE OF COAT HANGERS I Original Filed Nov. 25, 1935 '2, 1938. w. BACK ER I 7 Re. 20,814

' MANUFACTURE OF- COAT HANGERS I Ori'gifial Filed NOV. 23, 1935 13 Sheets-Sheet B all/11011011101171]! max-0m AT ORNEY w) BACKER MANUFACTURE OF COAT HANGERS Original Filed Nov. 25, 19:55

13 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR WILL/AM HACKER M 2 AT ORNEY W. HACKER MANUFACTURE OF COAT HANGERS INVENTOR IAMBA l3 Sheets-Sheet l0 Inn/ma Original Filed Nov. 23, 1935 "5'". &\\\\\' WILL CKER AT RNEY Aug. 2, 1938. w. BACKER MANUFACTURE OF COAT HANGERS l3 Sheets-Sheet 11 Original Filed Nov. 25, 1935 INVENTOR WILL/AM BAG/(ER BY A I ORNEY W. BACKER MANUFACTURE OF COAT HANGERS Aug. 2, 1938.

Original Filed Nov. 23, 1935 13 Sheets-Sheet l2 WILL/A B t u A ORNEY Aug. 2, 1938. w. BACKER HANUFACTURE OF COAT HANGERS Original Filed Nov. 2%, 1935 15 Sheets-Sheet 15 aw Q Q IHM un,

INVENTOR W/L 1AM BACKER Y E N. R O T A Reissued Aug. 2, 1938 MANUFACTURE. OF COAT HANGERS William Backer, Schenectady,

Swan Cleaners & Furriers, a

N. Y., assignor to firm composed of Kalman Backer, William Backer and Simon Backer, Schenectady, N. Y.

Original No.

2,041,805, dated May 26, 1936, Serial No. 51,200, November 23, 1935. Application for reissue May 23, 1938.

16 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of garment hangers, particularly those of the type covered in Patent 2,023,392 of December 3, 1935.

Special objects of the invention are to accomplish the manufacture of such hangers rapidly and economically.

Other objects and the novel features and combinations of the new method are set forth or will appear in the course of the following specifica- 10. tion.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate preferred steps of the method and present preferred details of the machine, but it will be understood that both method and mechanism may be modified in various ways, all within the true intent and broad scope of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating somewhat diagrammatically various stages in the manufacture of the hanger.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view on a larger scale of one of the completed hangers.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a broken side elevation, showing the front of the machine including the mechanism for effecting the first stage of operations.

Fig. 5 is a similar View of the left hand side of the machine where the second set of operations are accomplished.

Fig. 6 is a broken side elevation of the back of the machine where the third set of operations are accomplished.

Fig. 7 is a like view of the right hand end of the machine illustrating the mechanism for the fourth and final set of operations.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional and broken plan view as on substantially the plane of line 8-8 of Fig. 4, illustrating in particular details of drive gearing.

Fig. 9 is a broken part sectional view substantially as on the plane of line 9-9, Fig. 3, illustrating particularly transfer of the cut wires to the operating turret.

Fig. 10 is a broken part sectional detail of these parts, substantially as on the plane of line Ill-40 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a view generally similar to Fig. 9, showing the first set of benders as having folded the ends of the wire up over the shoulder outlining dies on the face of the turret.

Figs. 12 and 13 are broken sectional details of the transfer mechanism for carrying the single wires from the cut-off station over to the face of the turret.

Fig. 14 is a broken part sectional detail on a Serial No. 209,539

larger scale of the mechanism for lowering the cut length down onto the transfer slide.

Fig. 15 is a broken View of the top bender and the welder as they appear facing the turret.

Fig. 16 is a broken part sectional detail of the opposite side of the welder showing the welding clamps in the act of applying welding pressure to the wire ends.

Figs. 17 and 18 are broken part sectional details illustrating the welder jaws in closed and open positions respectively.

Fig. 19 is a broken sectional detail of the welding clamps or jaws and guides for the wire ends as on substantially the plane of line lH-l9 of Fig. 1'7.

Figs. 20 and 21 are broken sectional views of the wire clamping and twisting mechanism, showing the twister head in raised and lowered positions respectively.

Fig. 22 is an enlarged broken sectional detail of the wire twisting arbor.

Fig. 23 is a broken horizontal sectional View taken as on the plane of line 23--23 of Fig. 21 and showing in particular the rack mechanism for raising and lowering and for rotating the twister.

Figs. 24 and 25 are face views of the hook former in the starting and finishing positions.

Fig. 26 is a broken sectional view as on substantially the plane of line 26-26 of Fig. 25.

Fig. 2'7 is a face view of the base or cam portion of the hook former and Fig. 28 is a similar view of the rotating member of the hook former.

Fig. 29 is a broken sectional View of parts at the fourth station of the machine, as on generally the plane of line 29-29 of Fig. 3, and showing in addition to the hook forming mechanism, the oscillating gripper for taking ofi the finished hangers. Fig. 29a is a broken sectional detail of a slightly modified form of gripper mechanism.

Fig. 30 is a broken part sectional view of the gripper mechanism of the gripper and other parts as seen looking directly toward the face of the turret.

Fig. 31 is a broken vertical sectional view of the turret intermittent gear and cam mechanisms showing these parts as on the two planes indicated by lines 3 l--3 I, Fig. 3.

Fig. 32 is a broken and part sectional detail view of the feed rolls, cut off and wire lowering mechanism.

In Fig. 1, the several steps of manufacture are shown as follows:

The wire I, advancing at the left, is cut off in predetermined lengths 2, .and these are transferred one at a time over to a first, bending and looping station, where the two ends of the wire are bent up as the sides of a triangle and the longer end, shown at the right, is bent down to meet the other end and there welded to the latter at 3 to form a continuous unitary triangular loop.

In the machine here disclosed, these triangle forming and welding operations are effected on one vertical face of a four-sided turret and on the completion of such operations, the turret turns to carry the triangular loop to a second station.

At the second station, the sides of the triangular loop are bent in to produce the shoulder forming portions 4, of the hanger and to bring those parts which formed the apex of the triangle into the close lying parallel relation shown at 5, forming an upwardly projecting double stranded stem or shank having a looped, rounded upper end.

In succeeding stages, the doubled shank or stem portion is bent to form a hook and is twisted at the base of this hook. The order of these steps may vary, that is, the twisting be effected before the hook is formed.

Actually, in the machine illustrated, the turret turns to a third station and there the parallel strands are twisted at the base at 6, approximately one and three-quarter turns and finally at a fourth station, the doubled, looped upper end of the stem is bent into the form of a supporting book 1 with the two strands of the same parallel to and overstanding the shoulder portions of the hanger.

The bringing of the ends of the wire together and securing them thus to form a continuous loop gives the stock a certain rigidity and strength, causing it to hold its shape and greatly facilitating the subsequent bending and forming operations. Also this eliminates any loose or projecting ends to deal with in the subsequent forming and finishing of the article.

As appears particularly in Fig. 2, the weld is preferably located so as to come in the twisted neck of the hook where it is to an extent sunk between adjoining turns and protected thereby, but it is within contemplation of the invention that the weld or other form of joint be located elsewhere, for example, in the spreader bar portion at the bottom of the hanger, beneath one of the shoulder forming portions.

Operation of the machine illustrated may be understood by consideration first of the driving train shown in Fig. 8. There a motor 8, is indicateddriving through belt or silent chain connections 9, a shaft III, carrying a pinion I I, in mesh with gear I2, on an intermediate shaft I3, driving through gears I4, a horizontal shaft I 5, which at one end drives an upright shaft I6, through bevel gearing l1, and at the opposite end through bevel gearing I8, operates a horizontal shaft I9, parallel with the front of the machine. The upright shaft I6 at the back of the machine drives through bevel gearing 20, at its upper end, Fig. 3, a horizontal cam shaft 2|, at the back of the machine and the shaft I9 through bevel gearing 22, Fig. 4, operates an upright shaft 23, which through bevel gearing 24 drives a horizontal cam shaft 25, at the front of the machine. The latter through bevel gearing 26, Figs. 3 and 4, drives a horizontal shaft 21, which is connected by gearing 28, to the upper and lower cooperating sets of wire feeding rolls 29, 33. The shaft I5 running from front to rear of the machine also, through bevel gearing 3|, Figs. 5 and 8, operates the upright shaft 32, carrying the disc 33, and pin 34, for cooperating respectively with the partial circular recesses 35, and radial slots 36, of the disc element 31, forming the other member of the Geneva gear for intermittently rotating the turret, said member being fixed" on the lower end of the turret shaft 38.

A hand wheel 39, Figs. 7 and 8, enables the shaft IE], to be rotated manually, for setting up the machine and the like, and a clutch 46; on the shaft I0, controlled from a slide rod 4|, through lever and link connections 42, 43, enables the machine to be stopped and started at will, without recourse to the motor switch.

With the form of wire feed shown, the cooperating upper and lower sets of rolls 29, 39, Figs. 3, 4 and 32, run continuously, but are separated intermittently by a cam 44, on shaft 21, coacting with roll 45, on lever 46, connected by link 41, with a rocker 48, overstanding and arranged to depress the lever 49, bearing on the spring supported journal box 50-, of onelowen feed roll, the other roll 39, also being mounted in a spring supported journal box 5|, arranged to be depressed by a lever 52, acted on by the first lever 49.

The cam 44 is timed to separate. the-feed rolls; approximately at the instant the wire reachesthe front stop 53, Figs. 3 and 9, and substantially; as this occurs, the advanced length of wire is cutoff by a knife 54, Fig. 32, shown as reciprocating very tically across the end of the wire guide 55,- and actuated through a connection at its-upperend at 56, with the cam lever 46. This same cam lever has an additional function in that through a connection at 51, with a link 58, itserves to rock a bell crank 59, connected through horizontally reciprocating link 69, with other similar bell cranks, G I, 62, Figs. 9 and 14, the horizontal arms of these bell cranks all connected with a vertically operating slide bar 63, mounted in a supporting and guide structure 64, over the cut length. of wire.

For supporting the cut wire full length, the rods or wires 65, 65, are mounted at opposite sidesot the; wire feed channel 66,- Fig. 14, in yielding seats 61, so that they will spread relatively, under downward push of the slide bar 613, to pass-the cut length down into position on a step 69 on the wire feeding slide 69. Actually, the channel 66 may be deep enough to contain two or three, or more out lengths of wire, above the feed slideand, in Figs. 12, 13 and 14, the structure is such-as to accommodate a total of four out lengths including that one on the step ofthe feed slide. One or any'numberof spring-presseddetents 10-, may; be provided for resiliently holding the cut lengths in place and for separating the length inthe bottom of the channel from those above it.

The wire length which is released to the'feed slide is held in the recess orseat at the front edge of that slide by a hooked detent or dog 1|, Fig. 12, which, as the slide reaches the adjoining face of the turret 12, Fig. 13, strikes against and is depressed by an inclined abutment 13,- located in a recess 14, in the face of the turret. The rocking detent 1I remains in this releasing position on the return stroke of the feed slide due to the holding force of a spring plunger 14a, acting against one side of the cam 15, on theback of the detent. As the detent on the feed slide approaches the guide 64, an inclined'arm 16 ofthe detent rides under the overstanding guide-structure 64, and rocks the detent back to the retaining position where, as shown in Fig. 12, it is then held by the spring plunger 14a, acting on the opposite face of the detent holding cam 15.

The reciprocating carriage or feed slide 69, as it has here been termed, is shown in Figs. 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11, carried by keys 11 operating in undercut keyways I8, and as reciprocated in properly timed relation by the rock levers 19, actuated by cams 80, on the front cam shaft and connected at their lower ends with the slides proper 11, by links I9 as appears in Figs. 7 and 10.

The feed slide 69 is shown in Figs. 9 and 11, as having side wing extension BI, 82, for supporting the relatively short and long ends of the wire which project beyond the ends of the turret I2, and over the longer support 82, there is provided a gage wall 83, shown in Fig. 3, as substantially in line with the face of the turret and as carrying a circumferential wall 84. These angularly disposed walls 83 and 84 form guards for the longer ends of the wires as they are bent up as later described and assist in keeping these bending end portions in line with the face of the turret.

In advancing to the adjoining face of the turret as described, the cut wire passes beneath the shoulder forming dies 85, 85, on the face of the turret, Fig. 11 and at a time when the shoulder forming benders 86, 86, are lowered below the wire transfer path, as in Fig. 9. These benders rotating across the face of the turret, are carried by shafts 81, journalled in the sides of the turret and provided at the inner faces of these side walls with pinions 88, engaged by the gear segments 89, pivoted at 90, and having the shorter oppositely extending gear segments 9|, cooperating with opposite sides of the double, vertically sliding racks 92, Figs. 3 and 29. These double racks operate in vertical guides 93, in the turret sides and carry at their lower ends inwardly projecting rolls 94, riding in the stationary cam track 95, about the bottom of the turret, Figs. 29 and 31.

At the second and fourth stations of the turret, that is, at the left and right hand sides of the turret in Fig. 3, the stationary cam track 95 is interrupted to admit slides which receive the rack rolls 94 and impart in the first instance, a further closing movement to the benders 86, and, in the second instance, a reverse opening movement of the benders to release the completed article from the turret. The portion appearing at the left in Fig. 3, is on a plane taken through the second or left hand station and this view shows the slide 96, operating vertically across the cam track 95, and having a short cam track section 95a, receiving the rack bar cam roll 94. This slide is depressed by spring 91, against a cam 98, on top of the Geneva gear member 33, timed to effect a further closing in movement of the benders 86, at the second station, after such movement has been initiated by a second set of benders to be later described.

The slide at the fourth station for effecting the opening of the primary benders 86, is shown at 99, Figs. 29 and 30, having a cam track portion 95b, receiving the rack roll 94 and adapted to be pulled down by rod I00, Fig. 8, operated through lever IOI, from the cam I02, on the lower front cam shaft I9.

Figs. 11 and show how the bending arms 86, carry the end portions of the wire up over and around the shoulder formers 85, and how the cooperating, concentrically shaped concave and convex portions at I03, on these benders and formers set the wire inwardly in the form of inwardly curved shoulders I04, Fig. 2, for settling and holding the garment in place on the hanger.

The inward dips thus pressed in the shoulder portions of the hanger would carry the ends of the wire further than desired in producing the triangular formation shown started in Fig. 11. To restrain and hold the free ends against such movement, stops I05, are provided on the ends of arms I08, which as shown in Fig. 3, are swung to carry the stops in position in front of the wire and retracted to clear them of the wire and the turret, after the bending operations at this first station. As shown in Fig. 10, the arms I06, are swung inward toward the turret by spring pressed dogs I01, on the transverse slide engaging rollers I08, on the arms in the inward movement of the slide and the retraction of the arms is effected by the springs I09 as the slide retreats.

The movement of the bender arms 86, from the position shown in Fig. 9, to that in Fig. 11, is sufficient to carry the end portions of the wire up over the shoulder formers 85, far enough to produce a substantially triangular figure when the ends of the wire are joined together. Where the joint is made in the left hand side of the triangle, as in the illustration, the right end portion of the wire is left long enough to be bent down over a top guide H0, and to then reach the shorter left hand end portion of the wire. The condition prior to bending the longer upper portion down into engagement with the shorter end portion is illustrated in Fig. 11. With the parts in such relation, a top bender I I I, Figs. 3, 4, 7 and 15, carried by shaft II2, rotatably and slidably mounted in the bearing H3, is rotated and advanced toward the turret face by means including the cam II4, on the front, top cam shaft 25, operating the rocker I I5, which has a gear segment H6, in mesh with one side of the double faced rack 1, which engages a wide faced pinion portion II8, on the shaft II2, this shaft also carrying a cam H9, at its outer end engaged by a stationary cam roll I20. This fixedly supported cam roll, through the medium of cam H9, as the shaft rotates in one direction, has the effect of advancing the top bender III, toward the face of the turret, holding it there while this bender turns the upwardly projecting end of the wire over the top guide IIO, down substantially into abutment with the lower end of the wire Fig. 15, and then as the shaft turns reversely, the effect of retracting the shaft to remove the bender from the indexing path of the turret.

As the ends of the wire are brought together into a complete triangular loop, by bending from the Fig. 11 to the Fig. 15 position, they are secured by a substantially instantaneous butt Welding operation effected by the ihstrumentalities shown particularly in Figs. 3, 7 and 15 to 19, and comprising welding clamps which grip the wire ends and then press them together as the welding current is thrown on.

The two welding clamps are alike in that they consist each of relatively fixed and movable jaws I2I, I22, mounted on a carriage I23, sliding in a guide I24, toward and away from the turret face. The movable welding jaws I22, are shown carried by levers I24, pivoted on the fixed jaws at I25, Fig. 17 and having rollers I26, to engage pivoted spring pressed abutments, I21, on the inner faces of the turret side walls. These walls are cut out or notched as indicated at I28, to admit the welding clamps into the plane of the wire and to relatively center the jaws and the wire. The fixed jaws are shown as carrying guides I29gfhaving' the inwardly convergent wire en.- trances I30". The movable jaws are acted on by jawopening springs I3'I, Fig. 17, so that the jaws stand open as in Fig. 18, as they approach the wire ends and the movable jaws close down over the wire, as the wire is centered by the convergent guides I30, in respect to the fixed jaws. The spring pressed abutments I21, serve to hold the clamping jaws closed under yielding spring force, allowing for unevenness or variations in the size ofthe wire.

At approximately the time the welding clamps obtain a firm grip on the wire ends, a cam I32. Figs. 3 and"4, on the front cam shaft 25, operates a switch I33, to throw on current through the welding transformer I34, which has suitable electrical connections I35, Fig. 15, with the two welding clamps.

Pressure is applied during the actual welding of the wire ends by the means shown particularly in Fig. 16, and comprising a spring I36, acting on the leverage extension I31, of one of the welder clamps'which is pivotally supported at I38, so that under the force of' this spring, it may move toward the other welder clamp. This pressure becomes effective however, only after the tail of the lever I31 has passed inward over the supporting roller I39, Fig. 16' and a recess I40, in that lever has come into register with a cam faced spring actuated holding dog MI. The incline of this dog and the force of this spring I42, which holds it up into position, together with the shape and position of slot I40, determine the timing and effect of this welding pressure.

As the welder is retracted, the movable welding jaws spring open to clear the connected'wire and in order that these open jaws will not interfere with the indexing ofthe turret they are closed again in the extreme outer'position of the welder by the tails of the movable jaw levers I24, contacting-with properly positioned stops I43, Fig. 1'7.

The advancing and retracting movements of the Welder are effected in the illustration from cam- I 44', on shaft I25, operating a lever I45, connected by links I46, with the outer end of the welder slide I23, Figs. 3 and-7.

After the operations described of transferring a wire to the turret, bending the ends of the wire up over shoulder formers onthe face of the turret and then bringing the ends of the wire together and butt welding them in a triangular formation, the turret is indexed, righthandedly in Fig. 3, to carry the triangular loop of wire to the second bending and forming" station, at the left in this view and appearing in elevation in Fig. 5.

Opposite the faceof the turret at the second station are a pair of opposed levers I41, pivoted at I40, and having, connected to their lower ends links I43; shack-led to ahead I505 onthe upper end of a-vertically extending rod I5I, connected at its lower-end by linkage I52, to a' cam lever I53, which is oscillated by a'cam I54, on the front lower cam shaft I9. The arms or levers I41, carry at their upper ends'the bending dies I55, which come in over the face of the turret and are shaped'to breakin the upwardly convergent sides or apex of the triangle into the form illustrated at the upper leftin Fig. 1, with the shoulder forming portions of the hanger completed at 4, and the double strand looped shank or stem 5', rising -from.the neck portion of'the hanger. Inthe illustration, these bending dies I55, Fig. 5, have'the inwardly angled portions I56, to carry the wire in closely; over the neck shaping formers 75- I51, on the face of the turret and above that the opposed straight edge portions I58 to bring the strands. of the doubled stem into close, substantially abutting parallel relation.

The top guide I I0, serves as a former for the apex of the triangle and is yieldingly supported so as to permit the wire ends to be forced together in the welding operation and so as to permit the foldingin of the sides of the triangle as last described.

In the illustration, Figs. 3, 5, 7, 11, the wire guiding and forming pin H0, is. shown slidingly mounted in a block I59, supported by spring I60, in a vertical guide slot I6I, in the wall of the turret and as having a transverse lug or roll I62, at the rear riding in a cam track I63, which will automatically withdraw the pin from within the loop as the wire is drawn down in breaking in the sides of thetriangle. The tip of the forming pinmay be rounded off as indicated to enable the loop at the tip of the triangle to fold in smoothly and form a clean smoothly rounded bend for the tip of the hook; as illustrated at I64, in Figs. 1 and 12. When the collapsing loop'of wire releases the forming pin N0, the latter is returned automatically to the upper position by its supportingspring I60.

After the arms I41, at the second station bend in'the sides of the triangular loop into the final shoulder and neck forming positions of the hangel, or as a part of that bending operation, the first set of benders 86, are folded inward from the position shown in Fig. 11, to that indicated in Fig. 5, by the means previously described and comprising the slide 96, Fig. 31, operated by cam 58, to lift the double rack 92, and swing the bender arms 85, fully inward over the upper surfaces of the shoulder forming dies 85.

As'the't'urret indexes to the next, third station, illustrated at the right hand side of Fig. 31, the first benderrack 92, will be held up by the stationary cam track 95, so that the first set of bender arms willretain and firmly hold the partially formed hanger on the turret face. This cam track: 95', serves furthermore to hold these benders in. this retaining positionduring travel from the third station to the fourth, discharge station. After the second set of bending arms I41, open up and provide clearance for turning of. the turret, the latter is indexed from the second to the third station, shown at the top in Fig. 3 and more generally in Fig. 6.

In the'turning of the turret from the second to the third station, the upper 'hingedly mounted section: I 65; of the turret wall is folded inwardly and downwardly as at the left in Fig. 5, to leave the parall'elstrand shank of the hanger clear for engagement of the twister thereover. The mechanism for this purpose is shown as consisting in each instance, Fig. 3 of a lever I66, pivoted atone end in the turret at I61, pivotally connected at its opposite end by a link I68, with a lug on the back of the folding panel I65, and having a cam roll I69, in its intermediate portion engaging a stationary cam track I10, at the center of the turret, Fig. 31. The latter is so constituted ,as to drop back the folding upper panels I65, as'the face of the turret passes from the second to the third station and to hold these panels lowered'in the continuance of travel from the thirdv to the fourth station and finally to raise the panels to the vertical upstanding relation in the'travel from the fourth back to the first position; as will be understood from Fig. 3. The hinges on which these folding panels turn are indicated at "I, in Fig. 5, and in outline'these panels or upper extensions of the turret walls may be of generally triangular shape, so as to form only the necessary guiding surfaces for the upwardly turned ends of the wires being bent to the triangular formation indicated in Fig. 11. The top former pins H8, and the mechanism for yieldingly supporting and automatically retracting the same are carried by and mounted on these folding sections of the turret side walls.

The twister consists in the machine illustrated of a shaft or arbor I12. Figs. 20 and 23, having a bevelled entrance I13, for the rounded upper end of the double strand shank, a short cylindrical cavity I14, for the twist to be formed in the shank and a long fiat bore I15, to receive and grip the strands in their closely doubled parallel relation. This twisting element is rotatably confined in 9. raising and lowering sleeve I16, by an annular flange I11, at the lower end of the element and a pinion I18, at the upper end of the same. This sleeve I16 is confined in a vertical bearing I19 and has a rack I88, in one side of the same engaged by gear I8I, carrying a pinion I82, engaged by horizontal rack I83. The latter is actuated through linkage I84, Fig. 5, from a lever I85, operated from cam I86, on the back cam shaft 2I, Fig. 3.

The rotary movement of the twister is obtained from a cam I81, on the same cam shaft 2|, operating a lever I88, connected by linkage I89, with horizontal rack I98, in engagement with a pinion I9I, carrying a gear I82, to mesh with pinion I18, on the upper end of the twister shaft.

While the twister is operating the base of the double strand shank is preferably held by a clamp I93, Figs. 20 and 21, slotted at I94, to receive the two strands and. to hold them against a companion abutment piece I95, on the upper edge of the fixed portion of the turret wall. The folding panel part of the wall is suitably recessed as indicated at I96, Figs. 9 and 11, to pass this abutment clamp.

As the turret finishes its turning movement to bring the shank of the hanger blank beneath the twister, the holding clamp I93, is advanced by the rack I91, which carries it, through linkage I98, Fig. 5, connected with lever I99, operated by cam 288, on shaft 2I, Figs. 3, and 6.

i The parts are usually so timed that as the clamp I93, Fig. 28, comes in to grip the doubled strand shank, the twisting shaft I12, will come straight down over the shank and then approximately as it reaches the lower end of its stroke and the pinion I18 on the upper end of the same has meshed the gear I92, Fig. 23, the rack I98, will rotate the gears to form the twist indicated in i 1.

. The purpose of giving the double strand shank av fractional turn, one and three-quarter turns in the illustration, is to leave the two strands twisted at a right angle with respect to the general plane of the hanger, substantially as indicated in the upper right hand portion, Fig. 1. To permit this operation and to return the twister head back to its initial position, the twisting shaft I12, is shown as having a straight vertical groove 28I, Fig. 20, receiving the stationary guide pin 282, and a parallel approximately quarter turn displaced cam groove 283, the two connected at the upper ends by the complete annular groove 284, and connected at the lower ends by a short inclined groove 285. The raising and lowering sleeve I16, has a vertical slot 286, passing the shank of the guide stud 282,

so that the latter serves as a key to prevent the rack sleeve I16 from turning. In the downward movement, the guide stud 282 by its engagement in the long vertical groove 28I, holds the twister shaft lined up to properly engage down over the parallel strands of the hanger shank. At the bottom of this movement, as the annular portion 284 reaches the guide pin 282, the twister shaft is free to be turned to impart the necessary twist to the shank. Then as the twisting is completed, with the two strands turned out of the plane of the hanger, the other so-called quarter turn groove 283, registers with the guide pin 282, permitting the twister element to be raised in this approximately quarter turn position and then as the upper position is approached, after letting go of the end of the shank, the inclined portion 225, of the groove turns the twister shaft back into its initial position, ready for the next operation.

As the turret turns from the third to the fourth station appearing at the right in Fig. 3 and shown in detail in Figs. '1, 29 and 30, the upstanding twisted shank comes into line with a hook former shown in detail in Figs. 24 to 28, and consisting of a head 281, which is projected toward the turret and over the face of which there rotates a plate 288, carrying a relatively large and more nearly central hook forming stud 289, and a smaller slidingly mounted bending stud 2I8. The rotating plate 288, is carried by a shaft 2, which passes rotatably through the head 281, and this head is fixed on the inner end of a guide rod 2IIa, sliding in a bracket 2I2. The shaft 2II has splined on it a pinion 2I3, Fig. 3, engaged by gear 2I4, carrying a pinion 2I5, engaged by a horizontal rack 2I6, connected by a turnbuckle link 2I1, with lever 2I8, operated from cam 2I9, on the back cam' shaft 2!.

The projecting and retracting movements of the hook forming shaft 2, are accomplished from a cam 228, on shaft 2|, operating a lever 22I, connected by turnbuckle link 222, with one arm of a bell crank223, the opposite arm of which has. a rotatable connection at 224, with the outer end of shaft 2I I.

As the hooking head advances toward the turret, spaced guides 225, at the lower part of the head pass to opposite sides at the base of the twisted shank and the straight parallel portions of the shank enter edgewise as in Fig. 24, between the internal hook bending former 289, and an external backing and forming stud 226. Then as the shaft 2II turns right-handedly to the Fig. 25 position, the internal hook former 289, because of its eccentric disposition, will force the hook strands to the left over the backing stud 226, and the smaller external forming roller in travelling to the right will roll the strands down around the internal member, finishing the strands in the parallel hook forming relation shown in Fig. 25.

The hook forming roll 2I8, is shown as flanged at 221, to confine and hold the parallel strands and the radial position of this roll is accomplished and controlled by mounting it on a slide 228, operating in a radial guide 229, in the rotating part of the hook former, said slide having at the back a roll 238, traveling in and guided by an eccentric cam groove 23I, in the face of the hook former head 281. This cam groove is outwardly relieved at the finishing end of the same as at 232, Figs. 25 and 2'1, so that the flanged bending roll 2I8 may quickly clear the tip of the hook upon completing its bending movement. In order that this relief may be quite sudden, the slide .228, which carries the roll is shown as having a control projection 233, for cooperation with an abutment 234, and having an abruptly angled side adapted to snap past this abutment when the position shown in Fig. 25 is reached. The parts are so related that just prior to the cam. roll 230 reaching the relief 232, the control lug 233, will come in register with the abutment 234, to thus hold the slide and prevent the cam roll taking advantage of the relief until after the abrupt shoulder of lug 23 passes the similarly abrupt shoulder of the holding abutment i234, whereupon, with the cam roll in the widened part of the cam track, the slide will snap out as in Fig. 25, to .clear the fiangedroll of the just completed hook.

This quick relief movement is aided and largely accomplished by springs 235, Fig. 28, acting against a thrust bar v286, to force the bending roll slide outwardly.

After the hook forming mechanism has accomplished its purpose, it is retracted clear of the hook and the rotary parts of thesame turned back to the initial position shown in Fig. 24. In turning back, :the control lug 233, which has slipped past the control abutment 234, Fig. 25, operates as a deten'tato rock the abutment-about its center of support 231, against the tension of spring 238.

The completed hanger is removed from the side of the turret by transfer mechanism consisting in the machine illustrated of gripper arms 239, on rock shaft 249, Figs. 29, 30, having a pinion 24-l, engaged by a vertical reciprocating rack 242, operated from lever 243a, Fig. 8, which lever is rocked by a cam 242a on the lower front cam shaft 19. The'gripper mechanism is shown as consisting in each instance of a pair of gripper jaws 243, 244, pivoted-on the gripper arms at "245, 249, the first having an outer position fixed by-a'stop screw 2-41, and the second pressed toward the first by a closing spring 248. The inner jaws 244, are shown as notched at .249, to take the lower spreader bar portion of the hanger and the upperor outer 'jaws are shown as inclined :at 250, to passover the spreader bar and cause the latter to wedge open the lower inner jawsas in Fig. 29. Stop screws 25I,:determine the upper, hanger taking position :of the grippers.

Slightly before or-atthe time the grippers take .holdof the 'hangen-the slide 99, Fig. 29, which'at suchtime has receivedthe cam roll-.94, of the first bender operating rack is lowered 'by cam I102, Fig. '8,'to open these benders as indicated in Fig. 30, so as to :release the-completed hanger fromthe internal forming and shaping structure on the face of the turret. Consequently, the hanger is free to be 'lifted-ofi'bythe 'transferxgrippers. The path .of;rem'ova'l-is'indicated by-thebroken lines in Fig. 29. In practice, the gripper jaws'may be'positively closed to firmly 'hold the hanger in a definite angular relation, for instance, so that the hookl, of the same will trailback sufliciently'to engage and ride down over the inwardlyprojecting end of a supporting rail or rod .252, Figs. 3 and 29. The means for such purpose are shown as stationarycam tracks 253, in the paths-of roller-s 254, on the inner movable gripper jaws .244. To positively open the jawstoward the end of the removal stroke, these movable jaws may be opened by the abutments 255, thereon, ridingover the jaw opening inclines 256, Fig. 29. The

structure shown in Fig. 29a differs from that :de- .scribed, in that the jaws 244 are mounted. :for sliding movement in the gripperarms 23.9.

To definitely displace the spreader bar portion from the notches 24.9, in the grippers, substantially U-shaped springs such as indicated at 25!, may be interposed between the companion jaws, which as theinner jaws are open as indicated at the bottom in Fig. 29, will lift the bar out of these .notches. Guards or guides such as indicated at 258,:in Fig. 29, may be provided for directingthe hangers 01f :the turret to the supportingor receiving station.

The turnbuckles 2H and .222, Fig- 3, in the linkage :to the hook forming devices, enable the .making of adjustments that maybe desirable .or necessary to set the double strandsof the hook it!) :the desired conformation. Similarly, theadjustment provided at .259, Figs. :3 and 5 ,-in thelinkage for the shank twisting operation, permits .sufiicientturnbeing given the shankztoset the parallel strands =inthe desired position, that is, ina-iplane at right angles to thegenera'l plane .of :the'hanger. By performing the operations in successive stages, the mechanism :is :kept relatively light and simple, complications are avoided and high-:production is attained. The first, shoulder forming benders are carried by the turretand are utimed as means for holding the partly formed hanger imposition for successive operations. The other bending, welding, twisting, hooking anddischarging devices are all located off at {the sides of the turret in position to operate on the blank, as soon as the turret brings the blank around tothat yparticular station. These operations .maythus be'distributed according to time required, ,to effect a proper balanceand to save any waste of time. Aside from -a proper distribution of power, this speeds up productionand 'has-ot-her-advantageous .eifects. A hanger is completed and discharged .at .each indexingof the turret. The turret :sides may-be faced off smoothly 'toserveas abackjguide for the wire, the bending devices which operate .over these faces being grooved or z-shouldered as indicated at 2.50, to 'gripthe wire.

While of particular importance in the manufac'ture of :wire coat :hangers, 'it will be realized 'thatthe invention is of broad scope. The terms employed herein therefore have been used in a descriptive rather than in a limiting sense and are to beso construed, except possibly as limitations may be imposed by state of the prior art.

I claim:

1. The herein disclosed method of forming coat hangers, which comprises uniting the ends of a length of wire in a continuous endless loop, doubling adjoining side portions of saidcontinu-r ous loop together into substantially parallel relation connected by a rounded bend, "twisting -,the base of said parallel portions and then bending the remainder of said connected parallel portions into a supporting hook composed of the parallel strands of wire connected by the rounded bend atthe tip of the hook.

2. The herein disclosed method of forming a .ccat hanger, which comprises bringing Ethe ends of 'a length'of wire together -.and uniting them :to form the wire in acontinuous endless -loop, bend- .ing'in the sides of said continuousloop to .form the shoulder portionsof-the hanger and-a doubled portion projecting from said shoulder portions, twisting said doubledportion at its junction .with the shoulder portions and bending said doubled portion beyond said twist .into the, formofadoublesupportinghook.

3. The herein disclosed method of forming a coat hanger, which comprises bringing the ends of a length of wire together and uniting them to form a continuous endless wire loop, shaping said continuous wire loop in shoulder forming portions connected by a doubled shank portion and bending and twisting said doubled shank portion into the form of a supporting hook having a twisted connection with said shoulder portions.

4. The herein disclosed method of forming a coat hanger, which comprises doubling a length of wire into parallel closely adjoining portions connected by a bend, hooking and twisting said doubled portions and as steps in the method, connecting the ends of the wire together and bending parts of the wire below the twisted part into shoulder forming portions connected across the bottom by a spreader portion.

5. The herein disclosed method of forming a coat hanger, which comprises bringing the ends of a length of wire together and butt welding the same to form a continuous endless loop, doubling portions of said loop together into closely adjoining strands connected by a rounded bend, at one stage in the manufacture, shaping the rest of the endless loop into shoulder forming portions connected across the bottom by a continuous integral spreader portion and, in the course of the complete method twisting the closely adjoining doubled portions together at the junction with the shoulder forming portions and bending said doubled portions into the shape of a supporting hook.

6. The herein disclosed method of forming a coat hanger, which comprises permanently securing the ends of a length of wire together to form a continuous endless loop, doubling and twisting the doubled portions at said joint and at one stage in the operations bending the doubled portions into a supporting hook.

7. The herein disclosed method of forming a coat hanger, which comprises bending a length of wire into generally triangular shape and connecting the ends of the wire in that shape to form a continuous endless triangular loop, bending to gether the opposite sides at the apex of the triangular loop to form a double strand stem portion rising from shoulder portions connected across the bottom, by a spreader portion, twisting said parallel portions at their juncture with the shoulder forming portions and then bending said parallel portions above said twisted part into the shape of a supporting hook.

8. The herein disclosed method of forming a coat hanger, which comprises shaping a length of wire in triangular form with the ends abutting and welding or similarly securing said abutted ends in said triangular loop formation, breaking in adjoining sides of said triangular loop to the shape of shoulder forming portions connected across the bottom by a spreader portion and closely adjoining substantially parallel portions rising from said shoulder portions and connected at the top by a rounded bend and then shaping said closely adjoining substantially parallel por tions into a double hook having a twisted neck portion.

9. The herein disclosed method of forming a coat hanger, which comprises shaping a length of wire in triangular form with the ends abutting and welding or similarly securing said abutted ends in said triangular loop formation, breaking in adjoining sides of said triangular loop to the shape of shoulder forming portions connected across the bottom by a spreader portion and closely adjoining substantially parallel portions rising from said shoulder portions and connected at the top by a rounded bend, twisting said parallel portions at their juncture with the shoulder forming portions and then bending said connected parallel portions above said twist into the form of a supporting hook.

10. method of forming a coat hanger, which comprises bending a length of wire into the form of a substantially triangular loop and indenting vthe side portions of said loop near the base of the triangular formation and further bending said triangular loop structure beyond said indented portions into a double strand supporting hook.

11. The method of forming a coat hanger, which comprises bending a length of wire into a substantially triangular loop, breaking in the convergent sides forming the apex of said substantially triangular loop into a double strand shank composed of side-by-side substantially parallel portions connected by a rounded bend, bending said connected shank portions into a double hook with the rounded bend connecting the strands forming the tip of the hook and as steps in said method, shaping those parts of the wire below said double hook into neck and shoulder forming portions of the hanger.

,12. The method of forming a coat hanger, which comprises doubling an intermediate portion in a length of wire into side-by-side substantially parallel strands connected by a rounded bend, twisting said strands together at a point removed from said rounded bend, bending the connected strands at a point beyond the twist into a double hook with the rounded bend forming the tip of said double hook and as steps in said method, shaping parts of the wire below the twist into neck and shoulder forming portions of the hanger.

13. The method of forming a coat hanger, which comprises bending an intermediate portion of a length of wire around a former and then bending together portions of the wire at opposite sides of the former, while withdrawing the former to permit said portions to come together into side-by-side substantially parallel relation connected together by a rounded bend at the point formerly occupied by said former, connecting said substantially parallel portions together at a point removed from said rounded bend, bending said substantially parallel portions into a double supporting hook with the rounded bend forming the tip of the hook and as steps in said method, shaping parts of the wire below said double hook into neck and shoulder forming portions of the hanger.

14. The method of manufacturing a coat hanger, which comprises bending unequal portions of a single length of wire about shoulder forming elements and bending the portion of greater length about a third former toward the end of the shorter portion of the length of wire, securing said portions together in a continuous loop, breaking in adjoining side portions of said continuous loop into side-by-side substantially parallel strands connected by a rounded bend and then twisting said strands together and bending them into a double hook with the rounded bend forming the tip of said double hook.

15. The method of manufacturing a coat hanger, which comprises bringing the ends of a length of wire together and joining them in such relation, bending together adjoining portions of the wire at one side of said joint into substantially 

